Emmanuela Oliveira 
One of the most talked about topics at this year’s ADCC, which took place on August 17th and 18th in Las Vegas, United States, was the unexpected defeat of Nicholas Meregali.
After advancing in the first round of the bracket in a fight against Marcin Maciulewicz, finishing with a kimura, Meregali was full of confidence before entering the mat for his second match. In fact, this confidence was built well before, as the Brazilian had already taken for granted the double gold medal at the ADCC. What he and the world did not expect was that Michael Pixley would get the biggest upset of the edition, and even with a submission.
In fact, in an event attended by the biggest stars, the talents of lesser-known athletes like Pixley can often be hidden in the shadows of more notable fighters. After managing to knock Nicholas out of the game, Pixley’s abilities, unknown to the vast majority, were revealed.
After standing out in wrestling, Michael Pixley joined Jiu-Jitsu and has been investing in No Gi training and competitions
A purple-belt in Jiu-Jitsu who has been achieving important results in IBJJF competitions, the American grappler is an excellent wrestler with a decade of titles earned throughout his career. In the United States, wrestling is a highly valued sport and Pixley is also one of these university champions, with a successful career at McKendree University, in Illinois.
In the ADCC announcement of Michael Pixley’s name in the -99 kg division, a stacked category, the organization defined him as a fighter who has a “high level wrestling and an aggressive style”. The description of the West Coach Trials winner fitted perfectly.
Right at the beginning of the fight with the New Wave black-belt, Pixley managed to take him down and ended up on top with a D’arce choke that was practically on point. All he needed to do was adjust, and that’s exactly what he did until he felt the taps of the giant. In the takedown, Nicholas was injured and later said that he was submitted because he dislocated his shoulder. Vinícius ‘Trator’, Pixley’s previous fight, also succumbed to the D’arce choke. As the bracket progressed, the one who ruined the ADCC newcomer’s plans was veteran Rafael Lovato Jr., who defeated Nicholas’ rival by decision.
Pixley is a Jiu-Jitsu athlete from Pedigo, a team of famous grapplers
The Jiu-Jitsu improvement came at Pedigo Submission Fighting, the same school as prestigious athletes such as Jacob Couch and Dante Leon. Dante, a Canadian grappler, even shortened Mica Galvão’s run in the absolute and the Brazilian’s campaign in the open class was eagerly awaited. However, this was an upset that does not compare, in terms of unpredictability, to Nicholas Meregali’s defeat.
In the Gentle Art, Pixley is still a little far from the black-belt, but in the colored belts he has already left his mark. In 2021, he won the IBJJF No Gi Worlds, becoming the open class champion in the blue-belt. The following year, with the same belt, he won the title again, but in the super-heavyweight division.
